Public Hooliganism In India In The Name Of Democracy

How long will we keep tolerating public hooliganism in the name of democracy? Isn’t it high time we understood that it is a disease that should simply be wiped out?

Just the other day a huge group of so-called “common people” created mayhem in the Hathras station, by putting five bogies of the Mahananda Express into fire. And the reason for their ire? Well, they were upset with the fact that a number of important trains do not stop at Hathras station. OK, there might have been some validity in their grievance. And in that case they had 100 per cent right to express their grievance. But was putting the bogies into fire the only way to display their displeasure?

It was by god’s grace that all the passengers escaped unhurt. But there was strong possibility of casualties, that too in huge numbers. The people who orchestrated that heinous attack must realize (provided they have brain) that by coming up with such a shameful act they actually humiliated their own grievance, which was probably a valid one.

India is a democratic country, and people always have the right to protest against any government decision or policy that they disagree with. But that protest must be in accordance with the norms of the civilized society. We must remember that our Constitution has given us the right to express our displeasure, and not the right to stoop to the level of hooliganism.

Before we could digest the Hathras incident, there came the incident of MNS high-handedness against newly released movie “Wake Up Sid”. And what is their complaint against this nice movie starring the two talented young bloods of Bollywood - Ranbir Kapoor and Kankona Sen Sharma? That in the movie the city Mumbai has been referred to as Bombay. Really, what a huge offense. What a terrible attack on the “Marathi sentiment”. No wonder, the dedicated MNS workers – the self-styled custodians of Marathi Manoos – immediately plunged into action by disrupting the screening of the movie. And eventually the producer, a film personality of the stature of Karan Johor, had to kowtow before them, “apologizing” for the “grave offense” that he has committed.

It is high time that we became strict of all these nonsense in the name of democracy and freedom of expression. 60 years have passed. India is no more a young democracy. Now it must learn how to behave like a matured democracy.

Finally, a message for Raj Thakre. Raj, please stop all your hooliganism in the name of safeguarding the so-called Marathi Manoos. The Marathi community is an educated and cultured community, which has produced so many respected personalities. Hooligans like you and your followers cannot be their true representatives. So please stop embarrassing them.